MORE than half a million pounds has been invested to give facelifts to schools across Darlington, council bosses have announced.

Hundreds of pupils will this week be returning to schools which have undergone improvement and repair works.

Darlington Borough Council said it had carried out an extensive programme of work to many of its 47 schools - at a total cost of £570,000.

The main school to benefit was Eastbourne Comprehensive School, where £250,000 of improvement work has been carried out.

The work included upgrading the building, redecoration and the installation of a new fire alarm system.

At Hummersknott Comprehensive School, gas main services to the school have been upgraded and renewed at a cost of £80,000.

It came after reports earlier this year that there had been no gas supply to the science block for a year.

At Corporation Road Primary school, work costing £10,000 has been carried out to build corridors and offices while High Coniscliffe Primary school had a boiler installed at a cost of £60,000.

Roof replacement works costing £50,000 have been carried out at Hurworth Comprehensive School.

Work has also started on a £100,000 project to improve the school's music suite.

Council officers carried out a series of surveys at ten other schools during the holidays to assess the need for more work.

Stephen Harker, the council's cabinet member for education, said: "The council is committed to a programme of school building improvements and by 2005 more than one in five of Darlington's schools will be new.

"The improvement works we have carried out during the summer holidays will improve learning environments and that has to be a good thing for the many pupils and teachers who will benefit."

The council has invested more than £17m in school improvement work since 1997, when it became responsible for delivering education services in Darlington.

However, the future of teaching jobs remains uncertain, with many schools concerned about budget shortfalls.